Effect of addition of organoaluminum and organoboron compounds in the stereospecific polymerization of acrylonitrile using dialkylmagnesium as catalyst

An attempt was made to clarify the effect of addition of organoaluminum and organoboron compounds in the stereospecific polymerization of acrylonitrile (AN) initiated by dialkylmagnesium (R₂Mg) above 100°C. The triad isotacticity (i.e. the content of mm (m: meso)) as well as the viscosity-average molecular weight (M?_v) of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) increased when trialkylaluminum (R₃Al) and trialkylboron (R₃B) were used as additives. Diisobutylaluminum hydride [(i-C₄H₉)₂AlH] was found to be the best additive. in the stereospecific polymerization of AN, giving PAN with higher (mm) content (0.63), higher M?_v value (5.2 × 10⁴), and a yield approximately double that obtained using (n-C₆H₁₃)₂Mg alone. When the (n-C₆H₁₃)₂Mg/(i-C₄H₉)₂AlH system was used, the yield, (mm), and M?_v of PAN increased with polymerization temperature (T_p); maximum values of yield, (mm), and M?_v were obtained at c. 130°C. The optimum amount of additives was approximately equimolar to R₂Mg as initiator. The ¹³C chemical shift of α-carbon in R₂Mg at 90°C shifted by mixing with R₃Al and R₃B, respectively, indicating the existence of interaction between R₂Mg and the additives. The main role of the additives is considered to be suppression of the self-association of R₂Mg by strong interaction with R₂Mg.